readytorunbook Chapter 288: Oops, the monks were washed away by the flood
Chapter 288: Oops, the monks were washed away by the flood
It was still raining heavily outside.
"Princess, the south city wall has collapsed!" Lu Dong hurried over to report.
Xia Mo Ning was shocked. She looked at Lu Dong and asked in a low voice, "Did you do this?"
Lu Dong smiled bitterly: "How dare we? It collapsed on its own. Maybe the monk's magic worked. God can't do anything about it, so he can only destroy the wall!"
Xia Mo Ning: "..."
I don’t believe it!
The imperial palace bedroom.
The empress was also awakened by the loud noise and was startled. She thought Qin Zheng had fired a thunder cannon at the palace.
She had just had a nightmare. Qin Zheng was going to rebel...
"What's wrong?" The empress jumped up from the bed.
Li Qiuhan's voice came from outside the door: "I don't know!"
"Where is Uncle An?" the empress asked, still in shock.
An Dehai's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Your Majesty, the scouts report that the south city wall has collapsed..."
The empress was horrified: "The southern city wall has collapsed, and the Altar of Heaven..."
"Your Majesty, it's bad! The south city wall has collapsed, and the monks have been washed away by the flood..." Suddenly, a scout from the inner palace came running...
South City.
The entire city wall collapsed.
At first only a part of it collapsed, but the accumulated water raged like a tiger coming down the mountain, and the rest of the city wall was destroyed.
The flood roared, carrying with it a mountain of garbage, as it rushed past the original site of the southern city wall...
The Daqian Dynasty's Altar of Heaven was destroyed in an instant...
early morning!
In the palace, in the main hall, the atmosphere was tense.
Civil and military officials were trembling with fear. The south city wall had collapsed and the Altar of Heaven had been destroyed. This was a big deal. They were probably doomed to be in trouble!
Empress Xia Mochu's face looked extremely ugly. She had just finished offering sacrifices to heaven and earth at noon when the south city wall collapsed. Was this God's will or man's?
If it was God's will, wouldn't it mean that she was unqualified as an empress and even God couldn't stand it?
If it was man-made, who would be so bold?
At this moment, everyone is waiting.
Waiting for the survey results.
"His Majesty!"
"His Majesty!"
Zheng Huaizhi, the Minister of the Dali Temple, and Zhu Fengchi, the Minister of Works, hurried in and knelt on the ground.
Zhu Fengchi's hair was wet, and he didn't know whether it was sweat or rain.
"Speak!" Xia Mochu said anxiously.
The incident was so serious that she asked the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Works to jointly investigate.
Zheng Huaizhi, the Minister of the Dali Temple, reported, "According to investigations, the collapse of the southern city wall was not caused by vandalism or disrepair, but rather by shoddy construction materials, which were then soaked and washed away by rain. Aside from the surface, the center of the wall is completely hollow, filled with garbage, dead grass, and rotten wood. It has been confirmed to be shoddy construction. According to investigations, this is not just the case with the southern city wall, but the entire imperial capital's walls! This is not the case with the walls of the imperial palace."
The empress and all the civil and military officials were shocked. This was the city wall of the imperial capital, and it was actually a shoddy project?
Xia Mochu was furious: "Investigate thoroughly, who is so bold and presumptuous?"
Zhu Fengchi trembled as he spoke, "A hundred years ago, the imperial capital's walls fell into disrepair, so the late emperor ordered them to be demolished and rebuilt. The then Minister of Works was found guilty of corruption, and his entire clan was exterminated. The person who undertook this project was a relative of that Minister..."
The empress's pretty face turned cold. Are they all dead?
How to hold people accountable?
"Although today's accident was caused by a previous project, your Ministry of Works didn't even notice it. This is a serious negligence!" The empress said coldly.
"I know my crime!" Zhu Fengchi broke out in a cold sweat.
Indeed, this was indeed a failure of supervision on the part of the Ministry of Industry.
Zhu Fengchi thought to himself, it’s over, I’m definitely going to be gangbanged.
Although he was just negligent, he caused the destruction of the Altar of Heaven. The empress must give an explanation to the people of Daqian. How could she not deal with him? He is not the empress's man.
This time, it is an opportunity for the empress to eliminate dissidents.
He guessed right. How could Xia Mochu miss such a good opportunity?
He said angrily, "You are an important official in the court, my right-hand man, in charge of the Ministry of Works, and you hold a heavy responsibility. However, due to your negligence, you have caused serious consequences and betrayed my trust. I am very disappointed and heartbroken. However, the law is ruthless and I must punish you severely according to the law. Do you have any objections?"
The empress said this, looking at Zhu Fengchi.
An Dehai secretly gave a thumbs up and thought to himself that the empress had indeed grown up and knew how to leave messages to the ministers. If it were in the past, she would have dismissed him directly.
However, the effects of recall and voluntary resignation are different.
Zhu Fengchi knew what the empress meant. He sighed in his heart and decided that he had to take up this ladder. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing to be dismissed from office.
He said, "Your Majesty, I am old and frail, and have long been unable to bear the heavy responsibility. If it were not for Your Majesty's sympathy, I would have retired and returned home long ago. I earnestly request to retire and return home to enjoy my old age. I hope Your Majesty will grant me permission!"
Xia Mochu's face was filled with heartache, and he looked very reluctant but helpless. He said, "My dear minister, you have worked hard and made great contributions, but time is not forgiving! I, agree!"
"Long live the emperor, thank you for your grace! I, a humble commoner, will take my leave!" Zhu Fengchi kowtowed and left.
The empress's words came true, and in an instant, he, a high-ranking official of the dynasty, became a commoner.
The reality is so cruel.
Zhu Fengchi resigned from his post and left, and the civil and military officials in the court became even more uneasy.
"Where is Lord Guo?" Xia Mochu seemed to have just discovered that Guo Pingxi was not there.
In fact, she had known for a long time that Guo Pingxi had claimed to be ill and did not come.
But, if you don't come, can you delay the matter?
How can I give up such a good opportunity just because of your illness and the memorial from the King of the Western Territory?
An Dehai quickly replied: "Your Majesty, Lord Guo was caught in the rain yesterday and fell ill. Lord Guo is already old and works day and night. His body can't withstand the wind and rain. I have sent the imperial physician to see him and also sent him some nourishing food!" After An Dehai's words, the faces of the civil and military officials in the court changed slightly. He was handing a ladder to the empress!
Zhu Fengchi is old and retired to his hometown.
An Dehai said that Guo Pingxi was old. Wasn't it obvious that he wanted the empress to take him down as well?
Xia Mochuxin said, Uncle An handed over the ladder very well, it was great.
Otherwise, she really couldn't have dismissed him without Guo Pingxi being present.
In fact, she was still wary of the memorial from the King of the Western Territory, but knowing that Qin Zheng was in Guanxi, she felt at ease.
Whether Qin Zheng is her man or the messenger of the Five Elements Sect, she will not watch the Daqian Dynasty being overthrown.
She knew very well that if Guo Pingxi was dismissed, the King of the Western Territory would be furious.
Qin Zheng also threatened the Qi family and the interests of the King of the Western Border in Guanxi.
Qin Zheng is her favorite minister. If the King of the Western Territory does not use Qin Zheng as a warning to her, the empress, who should he use?
You wouldn't go so far as to come to the Imperial City to argue with her, right?
He didn't care either?
Xia Mochu also couldn't believe that Guo Pingxi actually dared to open the border and let the foreign vassal states in!
Isn't that a traitor?
What is left behind is eternal infamy!
Let's do it first, otherwise, with Zhu Fengchi and Guo Pingxi watching closely, it will be trouble sooner or later.